Support for pamphlets



May 3, 1 3 M. H, FEISS 2,159,262,

SUPPORT FOR PAMPHLETS Filed July 8, 1958 Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATEE PATENT OFFIQE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to supports for pamphlets particularly adapted to maintain pamphlets in a partially filled pamphlet box in a substantially upright position.

It is awell known custom in libraries to file pamphlets vertically in boxes which are placed upon the shelves. Unless, however, the boxes are substantially filled and the pamphlets are supported by contact with each other, the pamphlets which are seldom of sufficient width and rigidly to stand upright unsupported tend to sag and bend, becoming crumpled or disfigured so that their original appearance is soon lost. Moreover, the spaces thus left between pamphlets in a partially filled box permit dust to gather upon and soil the covers of the pamphlets.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a support which may be inserted in the partially filled pamphlet box between one side wall thereof and the last pamphlet of the group to hold the group of pamphlets upright, with the first pamphlet of the group resting against the other side wall of the box. Such support is so formed that it bears against substantially the entire face of the last pamphlet, or a major part of the face sufficient to provide an approximately over-all support, and exerts yieldable uniform and symmetrically distributed pressure against the pamphlets thus preventing them from sagging or opening and insuring them against bending at either the top or the bottom edges.

This as well as other objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description of one embodiment of the invention and of the accompanying drawing which illustrates such embodiment and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a partially filled pamphlet box in which a support embodying this invention is employed to hold the pamphlets upright; and

Fig, 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. l.

The invention is applicable to any of the several well known forms of pamphlet boxes of the kinds commonly used in libraries. By way of illustration, and not of limitation, a pamphlet box it is shown in the drawing, of a known and conventional type preferably, although not necessarily, open at one side only and adapted to be placed on a shelf with the opposite closed side exposed at the front of the shelf, The exposed front may be provided with. the necessary indicia or marking so that the contents of the box can readily be ascertained without removing it from the shelf. Within the box are a plurality of pamphlets ll of varying sizes and thicknesses which are held upright by a support l2 mbodying this invention. The last pamphlet in the group, against which the support l2 bears, is indicated infull lines and a typical arrangement of other pamphlets in the group is indicated by clot-and-dash lines.

The support l2 is formed from a single strip of stiflly resilient sheet material, such as heavy cardboard or fiber board bent or folded to provide symmetrical sections consisting of two fiat surfaces I5 and I5 yieldably separated by two V-shaped expansion bellows it. The inner folds of the bellows I6 are preferably deep enough to substantially meet in the center when the support is fully collapsed, so that the apexes of the bellows are in fairly close proximity to each other even when the support is considerably expanded as shown in the drawing. This structure provides a wider range of expansion than would be possible if the inner folds were shorter shallower.

One bearing surface, preferably the continuous surface l5, rests against the cover of the last pamphlet of the group while the other surface I5 rests against the side wall of the box, The surface I5 is composed of the two inwardly folded end flaps of the strip of equal area, the free edges I5 of which are contiguous or approximately so. It is recommended that the surface l5 formed by the end flaps of the strip rest against the side wall of the box to avoid danger of the pamphlets catching on the edges I5 if that surface were against the pamphlets. As more pamphlets are filed in the box the surfaces l5, l5 of the support approach each other, thus collapsing the bellows. Should, however, one or more pamphlets be removed from the box the surfaces It are further separated by the bellows due to the natural resiliency of the material from which the support is formed.

It will be noted that the support is in all respects symmetrical. The areas of the bearing surfaces l5 and [5 are alike; the two V-shaped bellows are alike but reversely positioned; the expansive forces of the resilient bends between the bearing surfaces and the adjacent ends of the bellows are alike and are exerted oppositely and reciprocally; and the expansive forces of the resilient bends at the apexes of the bellows are alike and are applied equally at the vertical edges of the two bearing surfaces; with the result that the two bearing surfaces are pressed apart over their whole area under substantially uniform and symmetrically distributed pressure.

It will be further noted that the support bears against substantially the entire face or at least a major part of the face of the cover of the last pamphlet and is yieldably held against the cover of that pamphlet throughout a greater part of both its height and breadth. Thus the pamphlets of the group are yieldably held upright and flat and in surface contact with each other and the covers of all the pamphlets are protected from dust and the like which would soil the cover.

While one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that other embodiments may be made thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a filing box the combination with a group of pamphlets standing upright in the box, of a support therefor made of a single strip of resilient sheet material symmetrically folded to form a continuous fiat bearing surface, a second flat bearing surface composed of the twoinwardly folded end flaps of the strip having their free edges approximately adjacent, and two yieldingly expansible bellows respectively connecting pairs of the outer edges of said bearing surfaces, said two bellows being identical but reversely positioned and being adapted yieldingly to press said bearing surfaces apart under uniform and symmetrically distributed pressure, one of which bearing surfaces bears against the last pamphlet in the group and the other of which bears against one wall of the box.

2. A pamphlet support for use in a pamphlet box,.made of a single strip of stiflly resilient sheet material symmetrically folded to form a continuous fiat bearing surface, a second oppositely facing flat bearing surface composed of the two identical inwardly folded end flaps of the strip having their free edges approximately adjacent, and two yieldingly expansible V-shaped bellows respectively connecting pairs of the outer edges of said bearing surfaces, said two bellows being identical but reversely positioned, having such depth that their apexes substantially meet in the center when the support is collapsed and being adapted yieldingly to press said bearing surfaces apart under uniform and symmetrically distributed pressure,

MARY H. FEISS. 

